Welcome to the West Side: Corridor Coffee brings co-working space to new community coffee house

Related Tags

With opening week officially behind them, owners of the new Corridor Coffee on Grand Rapids' Westside say their introduction to the community has been “the best [they] could have asked for.”

“Lots of visits, wonderful reception from the community,” says Max Friar, who co-owns the coffee shop and co-working space alongside Melissa Somero. “It has been amazing.”

Located at 637 Stocking Ave. NW, Corridor Coffee officially opened on Jan. 22, with the tagline “Welcome to the West Side,” encompassing Friar and Somero’s vision for bringing more economic vitality and sense of community back to their neighborhood.

Decorated with simple dark wood floors and fixtures, clean white walls, and warm yellow lighting the cafe creates something halfway between modern and familiar, with a cozy gathering space on the first floor coffee house with stairs that lead to a second floor professional co-working space.

Individuals can have seven-days-per-week access to the dedicated co-working space for a no-contract monthly membership fee of $199, complete with free unlimited batch brew coffee, a 10 percent shop-wide discount on espresso drinks and snacks, and high-powered WiFi access separate from the coffee house.

Originally from Traverse City, Somero has spent time living on the Westside just a half a mile away from Corridor. Friar, born and raised on nearby Powers NW, attended St. James Elementary school in his youth and says he remembers riding past the old 19th century home on his bike dozens of times with friends back when the building was still dilapidated.

“At this stage in life I had the means to invest back in the community, and when I met Melissa we believed together we could make it a reality,” says Friar, who employed Jacobsen Painting for exterior repairs and hired Team Restoration for the interior build-out. “In terms of vision, we just want to stay here, be part of the growth and restoration of my favorite side of town.”

With gluten-free baked goods from Rise and a full drink menu made with Chicago-based Intelligensia coffee, Corridor Coffee is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit Corridor Coffee's website here or find them on Facebook.

Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Corridor Coffee